European Centre for Environment & Human Health

Can nature help tackle anxiety and depression? | ECEHH Dr Katie Gibbs discusses new research on how nature might affect anxiety and depression with BBC Radio Cornwall.

How might spending time in nature affect people with anxiety or depression?

Listen to Dr Katie Gibbs talk through the 'Greengage' project on BBC Radio Cornwall, assessing a 6-week programme of "nature-based activities at fantastic sites across Cornwall."

ecehh.org/news/nature-anxiety-depression/

Impact of a Local Eco-Hub on Pro-Environmental Behaviour, Community Inclusion and Wellbeing Dr Louise Venables shares insights into a recent collaborative project, working with Dr Daniel Derbyshire, and Nicky Nicholls from Sideshore Community. Supported by the Engaged Participatory Research ...

🌱 How can a local eco-hub spark lasting change?
Our research explored the impact of a Devon-based hub on pro-environmental behaviour, community inclusion, and wellbeing.
Read more: sites.exeter.ac.uk/per/2025/07/...
#CommunityResearch #Sustainability #PublicEngagement #EcoHub

In this blog, we reflect on much-maligned equity considerations of the debate around zonal energy pricing - important for future energy transition debates as well as this one! Check out the blog below ⬇️

@ecehh.org

📣 Talk, networking and free lunch!
📆 Monday July 21 1 - 2pm at the ESI

Hear more from Dr Emmylou Rahtz and Phyllida Bluemel, about their project 'Perspective Shifts' which received this year’s FX Creative Exchange funding.
tinyurl.com/6c9syd92

@ecehh.org @cornwall.exeter.ac.uk @hls.exeter.ac.uk

Insights on people, place, and planet from ICEP 2025 | ECEHH Dr Leanne Martin reports from the International Conference on Environmental Psychology.

We're excited to share highlights from ICEP 2025!

Our team explored nature and wellbeing across diverse themes – from climate action to sustainable design at an event that:

"Emphasised the role of architecture, design, and urban planning."

ecehh.org/news/icep-environment-health-conference/

Cornwall MP paired with Exeter academic in research and policy exchange scheme Cornish MP Jayne Kirkham has been paired with a University of Exeter academic to explore how research can inform policy making in the UK. Dr Jo Garrett, Research Fellow at the University of Exeter’s E...

Now featured in a @uniofexeternews.bsky.social piece after taking part in the @royalsociety.org Pairing Scheme. I was paired with my local MP Jayne Kirkham to explore how research and policy can work together.
Read more: news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-h...
@ecehh.org @cornwall.exeter.ac.uk

💦 Love wild swimming? So do we. 🌞🏊‍♀️🌳
But we also ask:
Do wild swimmers get unwell more often than non-swimmers?

Take 10 minutes to help us find out
👉https://bit.ly/freshwater-swim-survey

#WildSwimmingUK

🌊 Wild swimming is irresistible right now! 🌞🏊‍♀️

But do swimmers experience infections more often than non-swimmers? To find out, we need YOU 🙋‍♀️ 🙋‍♂️

If you've swum in the past 2 weeks, we want to hear from you
👉 bit.ly/freshwater-s...
@watershed-i.bsky.social @sascampaigns.bsky.social

Home - Net Positive Centre At the Net Positive Centre, we focus on what’s possible — turning the climate challenge into an opportunity to support healthier lives and to improve the environment. Climate change is an urgent healt...

📢 The Net Positive Centre website is live! 🌍Focused on advancing climate-health research & real-world solutions — from urban design to food systems.Funded by @UKRI_News led by a partnership @exeter.ac.uk @ukhsa.bsky.social @nationaltrust.org.uk @forestresearchuk.bsky.social
netpositivecentre.com

Environment and Health Collaborative Forum 2025 | ECEHH Join us for a dynamic event exploring how collaboration with Centre researchers is helping organisations across Cornwall thrive.

🚀 Connecting Business & Research Event
📅 Tuesday, 15 July 2025 | 🕥 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM
📍 Peter Lanyon Building, Penryn Campus

Discover how partnering with our research team can help fuel innovation in your organisation.

Book your spot using the link below!

ecehh.org/events/env-health-collab-forum/

@uniexecec.bsky.social @davvi36.bsky.social @cornwall.exeter.ac.uk @ecehh.org

🚨 SWIMMERS & NON-SWIMMERS WANTED!

Take part in a survey about the health risks of freshwater bathing and help inform public health research 🏊‍♀️

Take the survey: bit.ly/freshwater-s...

More about the National Health Snapshot study: www.ecehh.org/news/health-...

My adventures on #Dartmoor 🦋

Grateful for time in such a stunning place — not just for the views, but to reflect on the meaningful work we’re doing at RENEW. Proud to be part of a team that blends passion with purpose.

#nature #biodiversity @ecehh.org

YouTube video by ESMARConf ESMARConf2025: Presentation - {rayyanR}: an R package to interface with Rayyan - Matt Lloyd Jones

Lil intro to our early-stage rayyanR R package, from the first day of #ESMARConf2025 (youtu.be/dmcTZ-0eC18?...). Please beta test it and find its inevitable bugs/missing features so I can fix them/incorporate them (you can help us if you like!) 🙏
@ecehh.org @eshackathon.bsky.social #medlibs

🚨 SWIMMERS & NON-SWIMMERS WANTED!

Take part in a survey about the health risks of freshwater bathing and help inform public health research🏊‍♀️

Take part: bit.ly/freshwater-s...
More info: www.ecehh.org/news/health-...

@exeter.ac.uk @uniofexeternews.bsky.social @oxonandrew.bsky.social

🚨 SWIMMERS & NON-SWIMMERS WANTED!
Have you swum in a river/lake in the past 2 weeks? Did you feel unwell, or totally fine afterwards?
Help inform public health research. 🏊‍♀️🧍‍♂️

📋 Take part: bit.ly/freshwater-s...
🔍 More info: www.ecehh.org/news/health-...

YouTube video by MSD in the UK MSD’s podcast ‘The Steward’ – Episode: The Environment and Antimicrobial Resistance

How can natural environments contribute to antimicrobial resistance? Listen to the new MSD podcast with Prof Will Gaze to find out.

"Many people don't realise antibiotic resistance is a natural phenomenon that's evoved in environmental bacteria over millions of years."

youtu.be/QI-jJjG3cLg

My experience: The Royal Society Pairing Scheme | ECEHH Dr Jo Garrett reflects on her time in Westminster and with Jayne Kirkham MP - how do we link science and policy?

How do you build effective relationships between scientists and politicians? Dr Jo Garrett shares insights from a @royalsociety.org programme aiming to do just that.

And as one speaker reminds us, “don’t be surprised when politicians act politically.”

ecehh.org/news/experience-royal-society/

Do you use Rayyan for systematic reviews and evidence synthesis?

If so you can now sign up to beta test rayyanR from Dr Matt Lloyd Jones and colleagues 💥

Get stuck into "the first R interface to Rayyan which can programmatically download and process review data."

CLIMAR webinar!🦠💻🌍
Harnessing AI to navigate the multimodal complexity of AMR.
12 June 11.00-12.00 BST. Register now! climar.org/harnessing-a...
@willhgaze.bsky.social @gw4alliance.bsky.social @target-amr.bsky.social @ukri.org @ecehh.org #ai #amr

Celebrating the International Day for Biological Diversity 2025: Harmony with nature and sustainable development.
www.exeter.ac.uk/research/ins...

#BiodiversityDay #GlobalGoals #KMGBF #SustainableDevelopment

@renewbiodiversity.bsky.social @booktrust.org.uk @exeter.ac.uk @cornwall.exeter.ac.uk

WHO report on nature-based solutions launched | ECEHH We’ve worked with the World Health Organization to review interventions that can benefit both people and planet.

NOW LIVE: Our new @who.int report on nature-based solutions and health.

From promoting air quality to building liveable cities, learn how to maximise the "roll out of nature-based solutions in tangible, real-world policies."

ecehh.org/news/who-nature-based-solutions

Tomorrow we launch our latest collaboration with the World Health Organisation (@who.int), a report focused on nature-based solutions: interventions "inspired by nature that can lead to multiple benefits for both people and the planet."

Sign up to the live webinar here:

who.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Policy brief highlights barriers to business in Cornwall | ECEHH New guidance is aiming to overcome the issues facing low-income households when starting new enterprises.

From a lack of start-up funding to limited transport links, new guidance is aiming to break the barriers faced by small businesses.

"We hope the briefing will help policymakers support an inclusive and sustainable business culture across Cornwall..."

ecehh.org/news/policy-brief-barriers-business

Back from the HouseInc meeting in Prague, where Prof. Gesche Huebner and I (@exeter.ac.uk @ecehh.org) shared the updates on our work how wider housing inequalities impact health across Europe. Grateful to be part of this vital work. #Housing #Health #Inequality

Green spaces linked with less smoking and drinking | ECEHH People who live in greener neighbourhoods smoke and drink less according to data from 18 countries.

New research published in the journal Health and Place suggests green spaces could help to reduce smoking & drinking.

The study could be "hugely important because it goes some way to levelling the playing field in terms of reducing health inequalities."

ecehh.org/news/green-space-smoking-drinking

Sensor system resource launched | ECEHH A new illustrated website explains how indoor environmental sensors can support health and wellbeing.

How can environmental sensors boost health at home? A new illustrated guide collates a decade of research findings to explore that question.

"It’s been a lot of fun bringing these topics to life and we hope others find it a useful resource too.”

ecehh.org/news/sensor-health/

Dr Bridget Watson has taken up the #esiChallengeOfTheMonth for May. She will give a talk on "Growing plants sustainably: harnessing the power of the soil microbiome" on 2 June. Watch this space as we look more deeply into her research on this environmental topic this month.
tinyurl.com/yx4x9pdt

An image of hands cradling an oak tree sapling, with the words ‘Have you participated in a nature recovery activity in the UK?’ Please follow the link to complete the survey.

Have you participated in a nature recovery activity in the UK? Do you have 15-minutes spare to complete a short survey?

Take part in our nature recovery survey and enter a raffle to win a £100 gift card! 🐞📋🌱

Simply follow the link for more info: exe.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Antimicrobial effects, and selection for AMR by non-antibiotic drugs in a wastewater bacterial community Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to human, animal, and crop health. AMR can be directly selected for by antibiotics, and indirectly co…

really pleased that this work is finally published! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti.... here we aimed to find out whether non-antibiotic drugs can select for AMR within a bacterial community